


Ms. Bell

by astudyinperiwinkle



Category: Marvel (Movies), Marvel Avengers Movies Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Drabble, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-21
Updated: 2012-10-21
Packaged: 2017-11-16 17:33:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/542041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astudyinperiwinkle/pseuds/astudyinperiwinkle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adjusting to a new roommate can be hard on both sides.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ms. Bell

By my standards, she appeared almost so small as to be useless. Huginn or Muninn on their own were easily capable of reducing her to a morsel without much struggle. Steve insisted she was large for her species and I did not doubt his word. Her small stature was not my qualm, it was her size as a pet.

“So, she serves no productive purpose?” I asked, sliding a hand down the furry ridges of her spine. A pleasant vibration came alive from her throat.

“I’m not going to strap a wagon to her and have her tote things around. That’s not what pets are for. Sometimes you just have them for company.”

“Even if they cannot talk or understand you?”

“She understands, in her own way,” he said. His fingertips dug lightly into the base of her tail and she started to stand, though only her back legs straightened. Her chest stayed resting on my stomach, her front claws digging into the exposed skin of my chest. “Just because she doesn’t speak the same language as we do doesn’t mean she doesn’t understand when someone is upset or angry or happy. Emotions don’t need words to be understood,”

“How philosophical of you.”

I did not mind the tiny pricking of her claws as she continued to purr. I was laying in Steve’s bed, only half covered with the blanket. He had gotten up to let her in now that we were no longer engaged in sexual activities, scarcely leaving time for the sweat to dry. His newly adopted pet had attempted to interrupt one too many times since coming home last week and upon my request he grudgingly shut her out for the duration. The pathetic mewing from the other side of the door was almost too much for Steve to handle and I had to work hard to distract him. As a result, I was more exhausted than I anticipated being, Steve was still frustratingly lucid considering my efforts, and his endearing companion was twenty pounds of contentment laying so our bellies were pushing against the rhythm of each others’ breathing.

I watched as a glisten of saliva formed, gathered to a drop, and fell to my chest.

“Charming,” I intoned. 

He kept ruffling the fur of her rump and another bit of drool coalesced between her furry lips. “That just means she’s happy,” he said with more pride than I felt necessary.

“I’m so very glad she’s happy, Steve, but is it necessary for you to encourage her to spit on me?”

An offended look crumpled his features. “She’s not spitting. She’s drooling.”

“And the difference when either way I am wearing her saliva is-?”

“Come here, Liberty Bell,” Steve slipped his hands under her and pulled her to him. He was sitting beside me, lap covered with the blanket and now supporting the limp form of his cat, and I was left looking directly into her big blue eyes that were just the tiniest bit crossed. Her small mouth opened and a single meow came out before the gravelly sound of her happiness resumed. Long white fur dominated her body but on her face and feet were patches of brownish gray, and the look of it reminded me of the cowl, gloves, and boots Steve wore when fighting the good fight as Captain America. I didn’t wonder if his attraction to her had anything to do with the similarity in their appearances.

I reached out a finger and stroked the bridge of her nose. She pushed into the motion and her mouth cracked open as she apparently went into a stupor. When I stopped, she opened her eyes and looked at me, one forepaw curling and uncurling into thin air, the other digging into Steve’s leg. As I reached forward to repeat the motion, she butted her head forward to meet my finger, then turned so I was scratching the wide curve of her jaw.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re better with cats than I thought you’d be.”

“I reserve my animosity for real animals, I suppose,” I quipped. Steve looked ready to say something, probably in her defense despite my comment being pure jest, but I cut him off. “Pets are not unique to your Realm. After all, one does not get anywhere if they treat a horse unkindly. I am just more accustomed to animal companions having a purpose beyond emotional comfort. Your choice of creature companionship is fitting.”

“Are you saying a useless animal suits me?”

I continued rubbing Liberty under her chin. “No need for hostilities. I just mean you have enough compassion to not require anything more from her than affection. It is one of your respectable traits, one that I myself reap the benefits of.”

The fact we had just enjoyed a rather numbing round of sex would be my excuse for being so suddenly honest. Though we were at a point where trust was no longer a question and our feelings were out in the open, I felt on occasion the need to have an escape when addressing the subject of our relationship. I was no longer his secret but the idea of settling down into domesticated harmony with a Human was a concept I viewed to be impulsive, foolish, something Thor would do, and naturally I rebelled against anything my brother practiced.

“Huh. So are you saying you’re a useless animal, too?” Steve asked, digging his fingers gently into plush fur.

I laughed. “Do not tempt me to sequester her again so I can show you how useful I can be.”

In a benignly condescending tone, Steve spoke to Liberty while working his hands around her sides. “Uh oh, Liberty Bell. Looks like you’ll be spending some time alone in the living room while I prove Mr. Wiseguy wrong again.”


End file.
